Booking while on board

[cruiselovin'girl]

Hello All-

 

Going on a RC cruise next week (can't wait) and already thinking about booking one for next year.  I'm wondering what the advantages are to booking while on the cruise. Usually, I'm enjoying myself too much to start planning the next one. But, I'm curious about this. Who has done this in the past? If prices drop, will they adjust the price once the discount is given?
TIA,

Pam

[matj2000]

Use the search function.

 

Type in "Booking on Board".   

 

Use all words, and title only.

 

It will bring up the last bunch of ongoing threads on this very subject...

[WVHillbilly]

best part of booking on next cruise is $100 pp deposits; and usually some obc.  Research the prices of cruises your interested in before boarding so you have an idea of costs for the ships and cabins that interest you.  I generally book on board and have it transferred to my TA; once i had a price drop that was a better deal from when I originally booked it.  In this instance i went from an inside to an oceanview; lost my obc but the overall price was a better deal.

[cruzinisgood]

I have booked our last through Next Cruise and also our next one in 2021. I have found that is the cheapest, have gotten more OBC and when I book through Next Cruise they pass it to my TA and I also get what OBC and specials they offer.

We get the rooms we wait which normally we get a GS.

I continue to look after we booked but it seems that it was always the lowest price booking early and the most OBC.

I might add when I booked this past Feb for the LOS in 2021 between Royal C and the TA each room received $800 and prepaid gratuities.

[Clarea]

1 hour ago, cruiselovin'girl said:

Hello All-

 

Going on a RC cruise next week (can't wait) and already thinking about booking one for next year.  I'm wondering what the advantages are to booking while on the cruise. Usually, I'm enjoying myself too much to start planning the next one. But, I'm curious about this. Who has done this in the past? If prices drop, will they adjust the price once the discount is given?
TIA,

Pam

 

Info here:  https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/next-cruise-onboard-future-booking

 

The best perks are with non-refundable deposits, and the Next Cruise salespeople are not always crystal clear that you are making a non-refundable deposit.

[GEORGIEGIRL]

Just be careful that you read the fine print or you might end up booking a cruise contract with either a non-refundable

deposit or a severe cancellation penalty. Do not listen to what the "future cruise" representative tells you, only go by the contract. Trust me we have heard several horror stories (we own a home based travel agency and have had to deal with some

very unhappy customers in the past).

[SuiteLady]

Only advantage for me is the $100 pp deposit and usually some OBC.  However, as some stated above, it is usually non-refundable.  I believe they give u 30 or 60 days to make any changes??  I do believe that Next Cruise folks are sourced out by Royal and are not actual employees of Royal, so you do need to be careful that you get accurate info!!

[ReneeFLL]

Ignore Mattj2000. He's often grumpy. If you don't want to spend to much time booking while on the ship start researching now so you have an idea what you might be interested in. The best prices are usually with the nonrefundable deposits so make sure you're ok with that. They often don't tell you this so ask if they are or not. Go over everything with a fine tooth comb before signing. What's in the contract is what you're getting so make sure whatever they tell you that it's in writing. Some of them are good and some just want that booking and don't want to spend time with the customer imo.

[Lionesss]

We booked on board our Allure sailing for our next August cruise (the non-refundable deposit), and found our a new angle that I am sure others already knew about.

 

To begin with I track cruise prices and compare them to what I pay.

This cruise (August 16, 2020) recently showed a 4% reduction on a GS.

 

I went to the TA who is  managing the booking, and she called.

 

RCI said sure they are eligible for reduction.........................but I had her ask RCI about our OBC.

And the rep goes to our TA......

They would lose their $600 OBC.

 

I go can you ask her why we would lose our OBC.

 

She goes this is a WOW sale, if it were a regular reduction they would not lose.

 

So, still tracking the prices.

Overall it was not worth their sale.

 

Safe travels.

Edited September 18, 2019 by Lionesss

[ReneeFLL]

I think it's 24 hours that you have to cancel without any penalties. You have up to 60 days to transfer it to a TA if you want to. If the price drops just call RC and they will adjust it for you. Sometimes you will lose some of the perks when repricing so make sure in the end it's worth it to reprice it.

 

Info on nonrefundable deposits.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/if-i-cancel-a-non-refundable-deposit-reservation-what-refunds-apply

Edited September 18, 2019 by ReneeFLL

[Clarea]

1 minute ago, ReneeFLL said:

I think it's 24 hours that you have to cancel without any penalties. ...

 

I believe there's is also a 30 day period to make changes without penalty.

[SuiteLady]

3 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

I believe there's is also a 30 day period to make changes without penalty.

yes, definitely a short period of time to make changes without penalty....30 days seems more likely, then the 60 days .  I could not remember!  LoL

[bouhunter]

3 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

I believe there's is also a 30 day period to make changes without penalty.

Pretty sure that's what it was when we booked a cruise onboard last January.  But we didn't change anything so I don't know for sure.

Edited September 18, 2019 by bouhunter

[AshleyDillo]

Keep checking this site and you'll see what the monthly onboard offer is currently:

http://www.royalonboardsales.com/

 

[Cru1s1ng2009]

100 pp deposit always gets me hooked.

[skittlesdfw]

So, for NextCruise bookings... what if we know we want a Caribbean cruise in late 2021, but it hasn't been announced yet? 

Our next cruise is in a few weeks, and we were debating doing a "placeholder" booking for something in early 2021... then moving it once the late 2021 deployment calendar opens up further.

Is there a risk with losing money on that? 

[Clarea]

10 minutes ago, skittlesdfw said:

So, for NextCruise bookings... what if we know we want a Caribbean cruise in late 2021, but it hasn't been announced yet? 

Our next cruise is in a few weeks, and we were debating doing a "placeholder" booking for something in early 2021... then moving it once the late 2021 deployment calendar opens up further.

Is there a risk with losing money on that? 

 

If you book with a non-refundable deposit, you will lose $100pp when you change.

[Biker19]

35 minutes ago, skittlesdfw said:

So, for NextCruise bookings... what if we know we want a Caribbean cruise in late 2021, but it hasn't been announced yet? 

Use the book later option where you can make a deposit and get the booking on board OBC if you pick a specific sailing within 60 days. If not within 60 days, but within a year, you just lose the OBC. You might be close to that 60 day window for late '21 sailings to come out.

Edited September 18, 2019 by Biker19

[rs45thompson]

How do you know how much OBC you get when booking on board.

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, rs45thompson said:

How do you know how much OBC you get when booking on board.

 

[Ourusualbeach]

11 hours ago, Lionesss said:

We booked on board our Allure sailing for our next August cruise (the non-refundable deposit), and found our a new angle that I am sure others already knew about.

 

To begin with I track cruise prices and compare them to what I pay.

This cruise (August 16, 2020) recently showed a 4% reduction on a GS.

 

I went to the TA who is  managing the booking, and she called.

 

RCI said sure they are eligible for reduction.........................but I had her ask RCI about our OBC.

And the rep goes to our TA......

They would lose their $600 OBC.

 

I go can you ask her why we would lose our OBC.

 

She goes this is a WOW sale, if it were a regular reduction they would not lose.

 

So, still tracking the prices.

Overall it was not worth their sale.

 

Safe travels.

You were given incorrect information.  The OBC from a book on board remains intact even with price drops.  If you received OBC in addition to this at the time of booking due to a promo that was going on you would lose that but not the OBC for booking on board.

[molly361]

7 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 

The above is for non refundable bookings.  If you book refundable the OBC is

4-5 nights  inside/ov $15   balcony/JS  $25

6-9                                $25                        $75

10+                                $75                        $150

[Clarea]

1 hour ago, molly361 said:

The above is for non refundable bookings.  If you book refundable the OBC is

4-5 nights  inside/ov $15   balcony/JS  $25

6-9                                $25                        $75

10+                                $75                        $150

 

Wow, a whole $25 for a balcony on a 7-night cruise!!!

[molly361]

11 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Wow, a whole $25 for a balcony on a 7-night cruise!!!

$75 for 7 days in a balcony

[Clarea]

4 minutes ago, molly361 said:

$75 for 7 days in a balcony

 

Much better, thanks!